The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's PTSD rating is denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating, which requires occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error related to the lack of an opinion on whether the condition is caused or aggravated by his hypertension.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disability (claimed as neck pain) is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the onset and etiology of the claimed condition, including consideration of a 2009 cervical spine diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for increased rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the extent of his pain symptomology.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating due to insufficient occupational and social impairment in most areas.,The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the dizziness is caused by or aggravated by the service-connected hypertension, which could affect the determination of secondary service connection.,The May 2022 VA examination did not adequately address the Veteran's 2009 cervical spine diagnosis and its relation to his second period of active-duty service, nor did it provide an opinion on whether the current neck disability is related to service.,The May 2022 VA examination did not consider the extent of the severity of the Veteran's pain symptomology associated with the back, which could affect the determination of a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- erectile dysfunction, dizziness, neck condition (claimed as neck pain), thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2023
- Citation
- A23029725
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A23029725.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected DM II. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during active service is presumed.
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